Closure for drinking receptacles



July 28, 1953 .1. 'r. SPALDING EI'AL 2,646,670

CLO SURE FOR DRINKING RECEPTACLES Filed Jan. 15 1951 INVENTORS .JoHN T. SPALDING CHARLES w. LABITSKA Patented July 28, 1953 CLOSURE FOR DRINKING RECEPTACLES J ohn T. Spalding, Collinsville, Ill., and Charles W.

' Labitska, Overland, Mo.

Application January 15, 1951, Serial No. 205,976 3 Claims. (01. 65-13) This invention relates generally to adaptors for drinking receptacles and more specifically to such a device which may be applied to an ordinary drinking glass so as to prevent the contents of the drinking glass from spilling therefrom in the event the drinking glass is knocked over and which doe not interfere with the normal operation of drinking from the glass, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a device of the type referred to which is simple in construction and inexpensive to produce, and which is capable of performing its intended function in an improved and highly efficient manner.

Fig. l is a plan view of a drinking receptacle which has the improved adaptor of this invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is View, partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation, the part in section being taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is fragmentary view, partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation showing the improved adaptor on a drinking receptacle which is in use.

' In the drawing, R designates an ordinary drinking receptacle at the open mouth of which one of the improved adaptors A of the present invention is applied. The adaptor A may be made from any suitable material, plastic, for instance, said adaptor having a top wall I and a downwardly extended, annular, marginal flange 2. The wall I of the adaptor A is provided with an opening 3, which is shaped as is shown in Fig. 1, and at the curved side of said opening 3 the adaptor is provided with a curved inwardly projected extension 4 which overhangs a portion of said opening at said curved side thereof. The wall I of the adaptor A has a recess 5 formed therein that receives a rear end portion 6 of a valve 6, said valve being shaped in plan as is shown in Fig. 1, portions of said valve abutting the opposed parallel side edges 3' of the opening 3, and a free end portion of said valve extendin beneath the extension 4. The valve 6 is formed from a suitable resilient material, rubber or plastie, for instance, and associated with said valve is a leaf spring I. A portion 1 of the leaf spring 1 is received within a part of the recess 5, the upper face of said leaf spring and the portion 1' thereof contacting with a lower face portion of the valve 6, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Also, the valve 6 is provided with a curved, downturned edge portion 8 with the inner face of which the forward edge of the leaf spring abuts.

If, in the use of a drinking receptacle provided with one of the adaptors of thi invention, the

drinking receptacle is knocked over, the contents of the receptacle will not be spilled because, first, the adaptor is so sized that it will fit the mouth portion of an ordinary drinking glass tightly so that it will not be dislodged therefrom, and, secondly, the leaf spring 1 will close the valve 6 tightly so as to prevent leakage of the contents therefrom through the opening 3. An important feature of this invention is that the adaptor fits ordinary drinking glasses and therefore a mother may carry one or more of the adaptors about in her handbag for ready application to a drinking glass or drinking glasses of children. When a drinking receptacle provided with one of the adaptors of this invention is employed for drinking purposes the receptacle is raised to the drinkers lips in the ordinary manner, and as shown in Fig. 3, the drinkers upper lip contacting with the valve 6 and moving it inwardly to permit liquid to flow from the receptacle into the drinkers mouth.

We claim:

1. A spill-proof adaptor for drinking receptacles comprising a member having a top wall and a circumferential downwardly extended flange having a smooth inner face adapted to frictionally grip a drinking receptacle at the mouth portion thereof so as to maintain the adaptor in assembled relation with respect to said receptacle, said top wall of said adaptor having an opening formed therein, a valve supported by said adaptor which normally closes said opening to prevent passage of liquid from said drinking receptacle through said opening and which may be displaced to permit passage of liquid from said drinking receptacle through said opening, and means comprising a leaf spring having a portion disposed in a recess formed in said top wall of said adaptor and Said leaf spring normally urging said valve to its closed position.

2. A spill-proof adaptor for drinking receptacles comprising a member having a top wall and a circumferential downwardly extended flange having a smooth inner face adapted to frictionally grip a drinking receptacle at the mouth portion thereof so as to maintain the adaptor in assembled relation with respect to said receptacle, said top wall of said adaptor having an opening formed therein, a valve supported by said adaptor which normally closes said opening to prevent passage of liquid from said drinking receptacle through said opening and which may be displaced to permit passage of liquid from said drinking receptacle through said opening, and means comprising a leaf spring which normally urges said valve to its closed position, said top wall of said adaptor having a recess formed therein in which is received portions of said valve and said leaf spring for anchoring said valve and said leaf spring in position with respect to said member of the adaptor.

3. A spill-proof adaptor for drinking receptacles comprisingv a member having a top wall and a circumferential downwardly extended flange having a smooth inner face adapted to frictionally grip a drinking receptacle at the mouth portion thereof so as to maintain the adapter in assembled relation with respect to said receptacle, said top wall ofsaid adaptor having an opening formed therein, a valve supported by said adaptor which. normally closes said opening to prevent passage of liquid from said drinking receptacle through said opening and which may be displaced to permit passage of liquid from said drinking receptaclethrough said opening, means comprising a leaf-spring which normally urges said valve to its closed position, and an inwardly extended arcuateextension. formed on said member and said adaptor against which a portion of said valve abuts when said valve is in its closed position, said leaf spring having a, portion which is disposed in a recess formed in said top wall of said adaptor for anchoring said leaf spring in place.

JOHN T. SPALDING. CHARLES W. LABITSKA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES" PATENTS Number Name Date 267,349 Hupfel Nov. 14, 1882 1,610,501 Ellerman, Jr. Dec. 14, 1926 1,725,477 Poulson Aug. 20, 1929 1,773,553 Taylor et al Aug. 19, 1930 2,003,657 Stubblefield June 4, 1935 2,093,133 Low Sept. 14, 1937 2,107,309 Smith Feb. 8, 1938 2,447,870 Polcyn Aug. 24, 1948 2,487,400 Tupper Nov. 8, 1949 2,573,111 Rossi -Oct. 30, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,153 Great Britain Aprp23, 1897 280,58?

Germany Nov. 23,. 1914 

